Al Shepard (CAPCOM)

Ha, ha. Good show. Stand by I'll call the Cape. See if they have anything.

Wally Schirra

Okay. Post retro, I read 65 (percent) auto (fuel), and about—78 (percent) manual (fuel). Manual lever is in. I'm in ASCS at this time.

Al Shepard (CAPCOM)

Understand you are still in ASCS but the manual lever is in.

Wally Schirra

That is correct. What is my nominal time for 0.05g.

Al Shepard (CAPCOM)

Standing by Wally. We have LOS. See you later.

Watertown Comm Tech

Sigma Seven, Sigma Seven this is Watertown Com Tech. UHF. How do you read?

Expand selection up Expand selection down Close

Spoken on Oct. 3, 1962, 9:12 p.m. UTC (63 years, 4 months ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet

Wally Schirra

Roger. Watertown Com Tech this is Sigma Seven. Read you loud and clear. How me?

Watertown Comm Tech

Sigma Seven this is Watertown Com Tech. I read you weak, I read you weak. Please make another transmission.

Wally Schirra

Roger. I read you loud and clear, Watertown. How do you read me now?

Watertown Comm Tech

Sigma Seven, Sigma Seven this is Watertown Com Tech. I read you broken up. I read you broken up. Please make another transmission.

Wally Schirra

Roger, Watertown. I read you loud and clear. Please make your transmissions to me in the blind, if I do not acknowledge.

Watertown Comm Tech

Sigma Seven, Sigma Seven this is Watertown Com Tech. I read you 3 by 3. Stand by, I'll turn you over to Com—Cap Com.

Watertown CAPCOM

Sigma Seven this is Watertown Cap Com.

Wally Schirra

Roger. Watertown Cap Com. How do you read me?

Watertown CAPCOM

Weak and unreadable, at the moment. But I will transmit in the blind. Please check to make sure your face plate is closed and sealed. Do you read?

Wally Schirra

Roger. Face plate closed and sealed.

Watertown CAPCOM

Will you verify that your scope is fully retracted and the door closed. Does it look dark?

Wally Schirra

The scope is retracted, and I think you'll have to confirm that for me.

Watertown CAPCOM

Understand—I just barely understood you, but I'll go ahead. Will you confirm that the UHF/DF switch is in the R/T position.

Wally Schirra

I am standing by to check out my RSCS mode at the proper time.

Watertown CAPCOM

Sigma Seven. Did not understand the last transmission but assume you read that we should have UHF/DF switch in the R/T position. I do not have any landing recovery information for you at the moment, but I'll pass it on to you if I can.

Wally Schirra

Roger. Have you acquired track?

Watertown CAPCOM

Expect LOS blackout anytime. I'll keep transmitting in the hope that it will get it on your tape recorder.

Watertown CAPCOM

At main chute deploy if you get a chance, will you shut off your three water controls to help out the data reduction people?

Wally Schirra

Wilco. If I get a chance. Ha, ha.

Watertown CAPCOM

Sigma Seven. Don't forget to watch your your cabin pressure and your altimeter. If they do not check, pull your decompress or your snorkle handle.

Watertown CAPCOM

Sigma Seven. I'll keep on talking in the hope that we can clear this blackout problem. At 17K, your O2 emergency light should come on. At that time pull your snorkle.

Watertown CAPCOM

You should have sent your blood pressure.

Watertown CAPCOM

I still have you on T/M. No blackout yet.

Wally Schirra

Roger. I'm going to check out rate command at this time.

Watertown CAPCOM

Roger. Understand. Checking out rate command.

Watertown CAPCOM

Sigma Seven. Do you still read?

Wally Schirra

Sigma Seven. Read you loud and clear. How me?

Watertown CAPCOM

Clear.

Watertown CAPCOM

Wally, by the way, how do you feel? All your systems okay at this time?

Wally Schirra

Oh, they're beautiful—very good. Every control mode has worked perfectly.

Watertown CAPCOM

Lost you on T/M.

Wally Schirra

I have selected aux damp and rate command at this. The window is almost completely occluded. It would be impossible to see out of it at this point.

Wally Schirra

I'm seeing things come off, but I can't see them very clearly. There we go into 0.05, a green. I am hands off at this point. In rate command, in aux damp. And I have a roll rate started. A slight pitch rate, not bad at all. I can see out the window for some strange reason at last. There goes another long spiral like looking device. I will give another blood pressure at this point, subsequent to 0.05 g. All rates are very nominal. Rate command is working quite well I would say.

Wally Schirra

Going back into g-field. And the attitude looks very stable. I'm rolling right around the horizon. I'm going to stop my blood pressure at this time—and sit back here and regroup. I can see the ion layer. I'm inverted at this time.